Matthew 10:34 - 11:15
In this passage Jesus continues his instructions to the apostles as he sends them out to preach and teach. In Saturday's reading, Jesus gave his apostles the basic "to-do" list, and in yesterday's reading he related the outward opposition they would encounter on their mission. Today's reading turns our attention toward the inner struggles that Jesus' followers would face, and it is a difficult struggle indeed.
"Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword."
If nothing else gets your attention, this statement does. It flies in the face of everything we think we know about Jesus. He's the Prince of Peace, right? He's healed the sick, spoken words of comfort, preached the Good News. And for Jesus to say that he brings a sword? That doesn't sound like the Jesus I know because it just doesn't sound very . . . nice. (Jesus, of course, is always asking me to get to know him better.)
However else Jesus meant for that statement to be taken, I suspect it was certainly intended to be taken prophetically. There have been many conflicts, great and small, as a result of Jesus' entry into history. And in instructing his apostles (and through them, us) I think here he is focusing on smaller, internal conflicts.
"Your enemies will be right in your own household," he says, and if we haven't experienced it ourselves, we probably know families that have been in conflict as a result of Jesus' entry into their own personal histories. The sword that cuts also divides: a husband resents his wife's new-found faith and the time she spends at church; a student returns home from college with a vibrant new relationship with God, and her family worries she's joined a cult; a young person responds to a call to the mission field and moves halfway across the globe against the wishes of his parents. When someone enters into a relationship with Jesus, all other relationships will (or should) feel the effects.
And we are divided within. Jesus asks his followers to take up their crosses and follow him. Sometimes we take this to mean that we must embrace the hardships that come from following Jesus -- and it does -- but the apostles knew what taking up the cross meant. It meant death. "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."
Even John the Baptist shows this inward struggle. Here is the man who prepared the way for Jesus, who saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending on Jesus, and a voice from above saying "This is my son." And even he struggles with doubt, wondering if Jesus really is the Messiah. If such a man as John the Baptist can doubt, so, too, can we all. And so we do.
But with that sword he brings, Jesus draws the dividing line between faith and doubt, between holding back and surrendering all, between clinging to life and taking up the cross, and he asks us to step across. For his sake.
Drew Clausen
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3 comments:
Excellent comments Drew. The statement Jesus makes about coming with a sword is avoided by our post modern culture that wishes to paint Jesus as jello. Here we see strength and tough love that portrays the reality of who he was and is and what the reality is on becoming a follower. Yes, your relationships change and this is not easy.
I also see his comments about the sword pointing at Christiandom itelf. As we see more denominations or churches being split by whether to follow the word of the Bible or whether to become inclusive of the current culture, Christs sword is coming down between these churches be they protestant or Catholic. A new dividing line is being formed unlike what we have seen in past history and it is about where we stand with God's word and who Jesus is in our estimation.
Drew, thanks for making me think this morning!
I was struck by the three times Jesus said, "you are not worthy of being mine". If you love your father or mother more than me...if you love your son or daughter more than me....if you refuse to take up your cross and follow me...you are not worthy of being mine.
But our worth (our "righteousness") comes from Jesus, right? So, is it possible to be in Christ but still not be "worthy" of being His? I think not; scripture is pretty clear about that. It seems that this scripture is talking about our human desire to have things both ways, the proverbial having our cake and eating it, too. We want to be a follower of Jesus, but we don't want to follow too closely. We want to be in church on Sunday and (at least a little bit) in the world the rest of the week. We want to have all the benefits of being a Christian (especially that part about eternal life) without having to do something as messy as taking up our cross.
I hate division - I'm a natural peacemaker and stray away from conflict with strategically-placed blinders on my eyes. Jesus tells me it's not going to be that easy, and that the cost of following Him will be great. Partial submission really is not submission at all, is it? Partial obedience (as I tell my kids) is not obedience. Partially following a leader will probably end with each in a different destination.
Jesus said, "Don't imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth!" Well, I sure need him to bring peace to my heart because his teachings push me way out of my comfort zone.
Wow! Lot's of great stuff today. My thanks to each of you for challenging me to see Jesus (and myself) more clearly.
I've always been encouraged by this honest question by John the Baptist. It's so easy for us to convince ourselves that the people in the Bible were full of supernatural faith so much greater than ours. It's helpful for me to see a great spiritual leader like John the Baptist, as he's sitting in jail, honestly ask Jesus, "Is this how it's supposed to be? Are you really the One?"
It's also good for me to hear Jesus remind John and me that the deaf hear, the blind see, the dead are being raised, and the Good News is being preached to those in need.
It's not all about me; it's about Him. And Jesus really is the One - for John, for me, and for all of us. Regardless of our current circumstances, we can be sure He is at work in our lives and in our world.
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